Water-gage.



F. W. WALRAVEN & G. E. CALKINS.

WATER GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.7, 1912.

Patented Oct. 14, 1913.

00 I 1 )K Wilma/( 21.

(1LT Uni/ 12216.

Gum,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS'W. HAL-RAVEN AND enemies E. o'llmr'ms, or Lets oksonvns, CANALsome.

WATER GAGE.

Spectfic'atitfin of Letters Patent.

application has au ust '2, 912. sesame-113,665.

Patenteo'0ct.14,113.

This invention relates to water gages for steam boilers, the object inview being to provide a simple, cheap, and reliable device of the classdescribed to take the place of the ordinary glass gage now in commonuse, and provide a perfectly reliable and safe means of visuallyindicating the water level in steam boilers of all descriptions.

It is Well understood that the ordinary Water glass gages frequentlyburst, and on locomotives the engineers and firemen are often scalded bythe hot Water and steam, and many have been permanently blinded byflying pieces of glass lodging in their eyes. Furthermore, water glassgages are not at all times reliable, inasmuch as they become discoloredfrom sediment forming in the glass, thereby obscuring the water levelfrom view; this often causesa false impression as to the level of theWater in the boiler, and results in a condition which may cause anexplosion by reason of low water.

By means of the present invention, the objectionable features,hereinabove referred to, are entirely done away with, and the indicatoris always in plain view, and the movement thereof varies with everychange of the water in the boiler. Furthermore, large openings arepractical, leading to and from the boiler. and are, therefore, notliable to become obstructed by scale and pieces of packing usuallyemployed in connection with the glands of the boiler fittings of thewater glass gage. After the device of this invention is installed, thereis practically no expense of maintenance.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will behereinafter more fully described, llustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, and pointed out in the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through awater gage, embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewtaken at right angles to Fig. 1.

The water gage of this invention oomp'rises, in the preferred embodimentthereof, a vertical stand pipe or cylindrical body 1,

to which are attachedbase and cap sections 2 and 3, respectively, eachof said sections being internally threaded, s shown, to receive. theadjacent e'xteriorly threaded end of the body 1. The base 2 is providedwith a central openin 4 "extending downw'erd theret'hrough andinternally threaded to receive a blow off nozzle 5 ada ted to allow anysediment to be blown ofi rom the gage in the usual manner. The base 2 isfurther provided with a laterally extending exteriorly threaded ni pie6, to which the water connection from t is boiler may be fitted, in amanner well understood.

The upper cap section 3 is internally threaded to receive an exteriorlythreaded plug 7, which is provided with a small central opening 8,through which the stem 9 of a float 10 passes, said float being ofhollow construction, as illustrated in the drawings, and adapted to riseand fall in accordance with the level of the water contained in thebody 1. Ordinarily the float 10 has the upper wall thereof thickened andinternally threaded, as shown at 11, to receive the lower threadedextremity of the stem 9. The

plug 7 is further provided at its upper side with an internally threadedextension 12.

into which isscrewed a gland 13, beneath which suitable packingisarranged,as shown at 14,to provide a tight joint between the stem 9 toprevent the escape-of steam and water from the age. The gland 13 isfurther bored and t readed to receive the lower threaded extremity of atube 15, which extends upward any suitable distance above the gage,and'is provided in one side with a longitudinal slot 16, in which worksa small lateral extension 17 of thestem 9, as shown in Fig. 2. To theextension 17 is secured an indicator 18 which travels up and downagainst or adjacent to the outer face of the guide tube 16, therebyvisually indicating to the fireman or engineer the level of watercontained in the boiler and in thegage.

From the foregoing descri tion, it will be seen that the water gage ofthis invention is strong and reliable, and it is impossible for theindicator to become clogged or inoperative or unreliable, for anyreason-whatever. Preferably, the stem 9 will be made quite small, sothat there will be a minimum amount of friction in the reciprocatorymovements of the same back and forth through the stuffing box, the tube15 serving as a protection for the stem 9 to prevent the same frombecomin broken, bent, or otherwise injured, when is ie float is in anelevated position. VVbat is claimed is: A water age for steam boilers,comprising a, cylin .rical body, base and cap sections having a threadedconnection therewith and provided resiiectively with water and steamrts, a blow-ofi' nozzle leading outwardly tom the base section, atubular casing extending upwardly from the cap section and provided witha longitudinal slot, :1 float in the cylindrical body movable back andforth between the steam and water 110115,; astem extending from thefloat upwardly within said tube and having a laterally extendingextremity movable in said slot, and a sight indicator carried by thelaterally extendinfv extremity of said stem and inovable along the outerface of said tube.

In testimony whereof We affix our signa-

